JENKINTOWN PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS

Throughout the country, most parents urge their teens to pick up part-time jobs to allow them to earn money and learn responsibility. According to research conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), an estimated 80% of all teens have worked in some capacity before they graduate high school. It is often a group that is overlooked, but with such a large number of young, inexperienced workers in the workforce; workplace safety is of the utmost concern for young workers.

Young workers often have a high risk of workplace injury due to their inexperience and high-risk industries in which they work. As these high risk jobs can result in injuries that may result in long-term health implications, the Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys of Mednick, Mezyk and Kredo compiled a list of common workplace threats for Pennsylvania teens.

Workplace injuries for teens often vary based on the industry with which they work. The following details the type of industry teens commonly work in and the corresponding injuries associated with the industry:

• Cashier, sales/stock clerk, bagger – Strains from heavy lifting, lacerations from cutting tools, repetitive strain injuries and violent crime
• Restaurant services – burns from hot cooking equipment, lacerations from sharp objects, injuries from slip and fall accidents, strain from heavy lifting, reactions from chemical cleaning supplies
• Delivery driver – motor vehicle accident injuries, violent crime, slip and fall injuries
• Landscape/agricultural worker – adverse reaction from exposure to pesticides and ultraviolet rays, heat-related stress illness, injury from power machinery, strains from heavy lifting and falls, auditory injuries due to overexposure to noise
• Construction worker – injuries from falls, blunt trauma and strains from heavy lifting as well as illness and injury due to exposure to temperature extremes, UV rays and noise
• Janitor – Illness from exposure to chemicals, strain from heavy lifting
• Child care provider – strains from heavy lifting, illness due to exposure from infectious disease.

Of course this list is not comprehensive, nor is it intended to prohibit you from allowing your teen to work. With some education and training initiatives, teens can be safe and productive members to the workplace. However, injuries and illnesses can and do happen. If your teen has suffered an injury due to conditions in their workplace, contact an experienced Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorney at Mednick, Mezyk & Kredo. For a free consultation, call 215-545-1870 or 888-807-WORK (9675) today.